UV curing technology is utilized for curing inks, coatings, adhesives and other commercially useful UV sensitive materials through polymerization. While traditional mercury vapor lamps can be replaced in certain low UV intensity applications with LED based UV curing systems, it is more difficult to use LEDs as a replacement for high intensity applications. LED sources and LED systems have a relatively low output power compared to mercury-arc lamps. LED arrays are used at very close range to the material which poses the risks of the curing system coming into contact with the substrate that is being cured.
Consequently, there is a need for high irradiance LED UV systems with a long working distance.